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By sharing your brand's story, through a combination of marketing and effective strategy, you inform your customers — as well as help them see the vision that you have for your company. You tell them your "why," which matters tremendously.

Some leaders can feel nervous about taking on the role of brand storyteller. But brand stewardship does not have to be difficult. You just need to talk about your values and speak with transparency: In other words, things that can build trust and a stronger following. You also need to remember to remember your clients and customers' needs when you're sharing information. Spending too much time talking about things you are doing, without also letting customers know why they should care, will only lead to people tuning you out, rather than engagement.

So how can you improve your story? Below, seven members of Forbes Agency Council offer their best-proven tips for business owners to become better brand stewards. Here’s what they recommend:

Members share a few ways you can improve telling your brand's story.

Photos courtesy of individual members

1. Focus On The 'Why'

Develop a narrative encompassing your company's "why." Sharing this purposeful story will attract individuals whose beliefs align with the same fundamental beliefs as the company. Understanding the company's "why" is crucial in communicating the "how" and "what." - Alexander Hug, TouchFuse

2. Understand Customer Needs

To become a better storyteller and brand steward, a business owner must first understand their customers’ needs. Once that's determined, the business owner can position their customers as the “hero” of the brand’s own story. The story should then be told so that the brand is the exact solution the hero requires to successfully complete their quest — helping the customer, while also building the brand. - Mark Stubblefield, Stubgroup Advertising

3. Build Trust

Work to build trust with your customers, employees and vendors. This takes time and energy, but when customers trust your brand, they recommend it. When employees enjoy their work, they tell others about their experiences, and vendors who believe in what you do will want to conduct business with your firm. - Ana Miller, Asquared Communications Group

I think it is vital you recognize what outcome the audience is interested in, and tell your story in a way that captivates them. To be a steward, you have to be willing to display your relevance to their needs. A good story should be similar to a case study format: Use emotional elements to provide a narrative and show your personality. I like to use humor, and always engage my audience when I can! - Jared Mirsky, Wick & Mortar

5. Communicate Your Values

Business owners must understand at a deep level the impact their brand has on its customers, employees and communities. Then, create cultural values that embody those elements, impacting day-to-day actions at scale. As a business owner, you must then relentlessly communicate these values, both internally and externally. - Drew Kraemer, Marketplace Strategy

Business owners need to become more transparent. The reason no one is featuring you or your business is because you are only telling them the story you want them to publish. You are not diving deep into the real reasons of what made you, you. Some of those might not be pretty, they might be embarrassing, but they are real and that is what is worthy of a story. - Virginia Salas Kastilio, Gini Tv

7. Just Do It

I strongly believe in “just do it” mentality. There is nothing worse than analysis paralysis. Once you have the flow, then and only then does it make sense to engage a brand communications coach who will help you integrate both the persona of your target audience and your unique image based on your personality, origin story, natural ways to communicate, etc. - Alexander Yastrebenetsky, InfoTrust, LLC